Inspection door for locomotive front ends



Sept; 23 @3924.

J. P. POWERQ INSPECTION DOOR FOR LOGOMOTIVE FRO ENDS Filed Oct. 15. 1921 Patented Sept. 223, i924.

FF l OE.

JOHN P. POWERS, OF ESOANABA, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO THOMAS F. POWERS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

INSPECTION DOOR FOR LOGOMOTIVE FRONT ENDS.

Application filed October 15, 1921.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN P. POWERS, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Escanaba, county of Delta, and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Inspection Doors for Locomotive Front Ends, of which the following is a specification.

It is the common and necessary practice to provide a spark arresting screen in the front end of a locomotive, and in order that an inspection of those parts ofthe locomc tive behind the screen may be made, it is customary to provide the screen with an inspection door. As usually constructed, this door is a rectangular structure which is secured removably to the spark screen by means of a plurality of studs throughwhich cotter pins are placed. In order to remove such a door it is necessary to remove the many cotter pins from around the periphery of the door. The front end of a locomotive is a hot, smoky and disagreeableplace in which to work, and this operation of removing the door is a tedious and annoying operation. i

The general object of my invention is to provide an inspection door which can be very quickly and easily removed and replaced, and which, at the same time, shall embody the necessary characteristics of strength, durability and safety.

It is also an object of my invention to provide an inspection door which can be made of few parts and at low cost.

I aim also to provide an inspection door of such form and arrangement that a maximum sized door can be utilized in the minimum space available in locomotive front ends.

My invention consists generally in the form, arrangement, construction, and cooperation of the parts, whereby the above named objects, together with "others that will appear hereinafter, are attainable; and my invention will be more readily understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate what I consider, at the present time, to be the preferred embodiment thereof.

In said drawings: 7

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a locomotive front end provided with an inspection door embodying my invention.

Serial No. 507,917.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view substantially along the line 22 of Fig. 1. i

Fig. 3' is a detail sectional view sub stantially on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 4 is a detail sectional view substantially on the line 4. 4: of Fig. 1.

1, represents the shell of the locomotive forming the smoke box, in which there is provided the spark screen 2. The spark screen extends across the smoke box from side toside, but terminates short of the top and bottom. It is desirable to provide an inspection door of aheight co-extensive with that of the spark screen, and yet in the constructions heretofore provided when such a structure is made the removal and replacement becomes diflicult. This objection I overcome, by providing a door construction which by a slight vertical movement frees itself of the restraining or holdng elements, and yet the door, when in place, is held at points on all sides thereof. This is essential because the door is subjected to intense temperatures and also to great vibration.

The structure herein shown for accomplishing this desired result comprises a door composed of a bottom member 3, a relatively longer top member 4 and the inclined side members 5 and 6, which extend between the upper and lower members 3 and 4:, and thus provide a somewhat V-shaped door.

This door rests against the metal frame 7 that is secured to the spark screen 2. The lower part 7 of the frame 7 is channel shaped, as best shown in Fig. 4%, and thus accommodates the lower part 3 of the spark door. At its upper end the spark door is provided with a channel member 8 that hooks over the angle member 9 that bounds the upper part of the spark screen 2. Thus, the spark door is held in place above and below. As here shown, the spark door is further held in place along its side edges by means of the Z-shaped memberslO, that are riveted to the spark screen. While the side engaging parts for the door are shown as a plurality of Z-clips, it should be ob-- vious that channel or like continuous members could be provided along the sides, but

' the individual Z-clips provide a cheaper construction and still satisfactorily hold the door in place along its side edges.

In order to lock the door in place there is provided on the frame member 3 of the door an outstanding stud 11 which is provided with a slot 12 for the reception of a key or cotter pin which serves to hold the clamp plate 13 in place.

To remove the door, assuming that it is locked in place as above described, the clamp plate 13 is removed, at which time, the door is free to slide upwardly. It can then be conveniently gripped by the two handles 14 and raised upwardly a slight distance, sayto the position indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 1, atwhich time it will be observed that the side bar-s5 and 6 are free of the clips 10 and the whole door may then be bodily moved toward the front. Thus a full height door is provided; and one which by the simple removal of one locking device can be entirely removed.

The device is furthermore of such simple construction that it can be cheaply-maria facture d. Again, because of the fact that the construction provides means for holding the door at a large number of points it may be made of relatively light gage metal, which, of course, lowers the cost. and atthe same time, removes just so much weight from the spark screen.

The many advantageous features of my invention will now be apparent to those skilled in this art, without further comment.

ll cl aims 1. In a device of the kind described, the combination of a spark screen having a door openingtherein, an open frame fixed to said screen about saidopening, a perforated door having a frame with oppositely disposed, inclined side edges, and means spaced outwardly from the open frame providing guides arranged complemental to said inclined side edges of said door frame so that said door frame is removably held in placeagainst said open frame under its own.

weight.

2. In a device of the kind described, the combination of a spark screen having a door opening therein, an open frame fixed to said screen about said opening, a perforated door having a frame with oppositely disposed, inclined side edges, and Z-shaped clip members fixed to saidscreen an'dhaving parts clip members fixed to said screen and havin parts overhangingbutspaced outwardly from the open frameand providing guides arranged complemental to said inclined side edges of said door frame so-that said door frame is removablyheld in place against said open frame under its own weight, and handle members fixed to the opposite sides of the door frame.

In testimony whereof, I have-hereunto set day of Oct, 1921.

my hand, this 7th 7 JOHN P. POWERS. 

